- Rohitha Bogollagama
Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =The Honourable
name = Rohitha Bogollagama
caption = Rohitha Bogollagama at theShangri-La Dialogue in 2007
order =
office = Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
term_start = 28 January 2007
term_end =
president =Mahinda Rajapaksa
predecessor =Mangala Samaraweera
successor =
order2 =
office2 = Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion
term_start2 = 23 November 2005
term_end2 = 28 January 2007
president2 = Mahinda Rajapaksa
predecessor2 =
successor2 = Sarath Amunugama
order3 =
office3 = Minister of Advanced Technology and National Enterprise
term_start3 = 18 November 2004
term_end3 = 23 November 2005
president3 =Chandrika Kumaratunga
predecessor3 =
successor3 =
order4 =
office4 = Minister of Industries of Sri Lanka
term_start4 = 12 December 2001
term_end4 = 12 February 2004
president4 = Chandrika Kumaratunga
predecessor4 =
successor4 =Anura Bandaranaike
birth_date = Birth date and age|1954|8|6
birth_place = Nikaweratiya,North Western Province, Sri Lanka
nationality =
party =
spouse = Deepthi
children = Lakshitha, Dilshani, Dakshitha
alma_mater =Sri Lanka Law College
occupation =
profession =Lawyer
religion =Buddhist
website = [http://www.slmfa.gov.lk//index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=9&id=30&Itemid=57 Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
footnotes =Chandrasekera Rohitha Bandara Bogollagama (born 6 August 1954) ( _ta. ரோகித போகோல்லாகம) is a Sri Lankan politician and the Minister of Foreign Affairs since 28 January 2007. [cite web|url=http://english.people.com.cn/200701/29/eng20070129_345575.html|title=Sri Lankan president reshuffles cabinet|date=29 January 2007|publisher=People's Daily Online|accessdate=2008-09-29] cite web|url=http://www.iiss.org/programmes/south-asia/ministerial-addresses/rohitha-bogollagama/|title=Rohitha Bogollagama, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka|date=8 March 2007|publisher=The International Institute For Strategic Studies|accessdate=2008-09-29] He had a long career in law running from 1976 to 1999, before being elected to the Sri Lankan parliament in 2000.
Early life
Born in Nikaweratiya, North Western Province, to Chandrasekera Malala Banda Bogollagama and Vinitha Bogollagama (née Senerath), he is one of five children. [cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/09/20/Obituaries.htm|title=Obituaries|date=20 September 2005|publisher=Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers|accessdate=2008-09-29] Bogollagama attended
Ananda College in Colombo and later theSri Lanka Law College , passing out in 1976. He was called to the Bar and enrolled as Attorney-at-Law by theSupreme Court of Sri Lanka in October 1976.Legal career
Bogollagama's career in law ran for nearly thirty years, and included serving as legal consultant to the Ceylon Fertiliser Corporation from 1985 to 1993, and legal advisor to the United States government-run
Voice of America from 1991 to 1999. He was also Chairman of the Sri Lanka Cement Corporation, and Chairman and Director General of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka.Political career
As a member of the
United National Party , Bogollagama was elected to parliament in 2000 forKurunegala District , and served the Parliamentary Consultative Committees on Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Industrial Development & Investment Promotion, and Power & Energy. On 12 December 2001, Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe appointed him Minister of Industries. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1706117.stm|title=Sri Lanka cabinet list|date=12 December, 2001|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2008-09-29] As minister he initiated the "Yuga Dekma", a large industrial fair, in 2002. [cite web|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/2002/07/18/business/7.html|title=Govt. picks Trinco to show vision of a new era|date=18 August 2002|publisher=Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)|accessdate=2008-09-29] In 2004 president Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolved parliament and removed non-cabinet ministers on 12 February. [cite web|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/2004/02/12/front/1.asp|title=President sacks non Cabinet and Deputy Ministers|date=12 February 2004|publisher=Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)|accessdate=2008-09-29] There was an investigation in 2005 into the loss of Rs. 65 million at Kahatagaha Graphite Mines during his tenure at the Ministry of Industries. [cite web|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20050213/issues.htm#Bogollagama's|title=Bogollagama's nightmare |last=Jansz |first=Frederica|date=13 February 2005|publisher=The Sunday Leader|accessdate=2008-09-29]While in opposition in 2004, he was appointed by a unanimous decision to serve as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), an oversight committee of parliament responsible for accountability of public enterprises. [cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/10/13/new26.html|title=Bogollagama elected COPE Chairman |date=13 October 2004|publisher=Daily News|accessdate=2008-09-29]
Bogollagama switched political allegiance on 18 November 2004, siding with the
United People's Freedom Alliance ; the President swore him in as the Minister of Advanced Technology and National Enterprise Development on the same day. [cite web|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/11/19/pol02.html|title=Bogollagama joins Government|date=19 November 2004|publisher=Daily News|accessdate=2008-09-29]He became the Minister of Enterprise and Development on 23 November 2005. [cite web|url=http://www.island.lk/2005/11/24/news2.html|title=New chiselled down Cabinet sworn in|last=Nakkawita|first=Wijitha |date=24 November 2005|publisher=The Island|accessdate=2008-09-29] [cite web|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/2005/11/25/ft/13.asp|title=Rohitha assumes duties as new Minister of National Development and Investment Promotion|last=Hewamanna|first=Damayanthi |date=25 November 2005 |publisher=Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)|accessdate=2008-09-29] As Minister, he argued in favour of returning Sri Lanka to GMT +05:30 time, in line with major trading partner India and the status quo ante observed by the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam . [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4865972.stm|title=Time to end Sri Lanka time split? |last=Sudworth |first=John |date=3 April 2006|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2008-09-29] He represented the government of Sri Lanka at two rounds of peace talks with the LTTE at Geneva in 2006. President Mahinda Rajapaksa vetoed a decision he made to recall ambassadors from Sri Lanka in Brussels and Paris in October 2007, Ambassador Weerasinghe had apparently failed to meet him on time during at official visit to Brussels.cite web|url=http://www.nation.lk/2007/10/28/news1.htm|title=President vetoes Rohitha’s appointees|date=28 October 2007|publisher=Nation on Sunday|accessdate=2008-09-29] During his time as cabinet minister the media has accused him ofnepotism . [cite web|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20061015/spotlight.htm|title=The business of politics and Rohitha's family fortune |last=Samarasinghe|first=Sonali |date=15 October 2006 |publisher=The Sunday Leader|accessdate=2008-09-29] [cite web|url=http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2005/3/1056.html|title=Blatant ministerial nepotism alleged|date=13 March 2005 |publisher=LankaNewsPapers.com|accessdate=2008-09-29]Family
Bogollagama is married to Deepthi; they have children Lakshitha, Dilshani, and Dakshitha.
ee also
*
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sri Lanka)
*Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka References
External links
* [http://www.slmfa.gov.lk//index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=9&id=30&Itemid=57 Ministry of Foreign Affairs biography]
* [http://www.parliament.lk/directory_of_members/ViewMember.do?memID=146 The Parliament of Sri Lanka - directory entry]
* [http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/area/srilanka/cv/r_bandara.html The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan - biography details] ja iconSuccession box
title =Minister of Industries of Sri Lanka
before = ?
after =Anura Bandaranaike
years = 12 December 2001–12 February 2004Succession box
title =Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion of Sri Lanka
before = ?
after = Sarath Amunugama
years = 23 November 2005–28 January 2007Succession box
title =Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
before =Mangala Samaraweera
after = Incumbent
years = 28 January 2007–present
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